Radiant Rehabilitation - Before
by talinsquall
Summary: How Riku and Sora's grandparents and parents first got together. Cloud/Leon-Squall, Sephiroth/Zack, Cid/Vincent. AU, OOC, Non-Canon, Homosexuality, Potential Mpreg due to Mako, Swearing, Rinoa is a villain


A/N: Thought I was done with this alternate universe. The muse proved me a liar big time.

Fandom: Kingdom Hearts/Final Fantasy 7 & 8

Summary: How Riku and Sora's grandparents and parents first got together.

Pairings: Cloud/Leon-Squall, Sephiroth/Zack, Cid/Vincent

Warnings: AU, OOC, Non-Canon, Homosexuality, Potential Mpreg due to Mako, Swearing, Rinoa is a villain, Vincent Valentine from FF7. (He is Sephiroth's Father and Riku's Grandfather in my head canon.)

Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters in this fan fiction. In certain cases incidents, characters and timelines have been changed for dramatic purposes. Certain characters may be composites, or entirely fictitious. Any resemblance to real persons, living or dead, is purely coincidental.

XXX

 **Radiant Rehabilitation - Before**

(Cid/Vincent)

Vincent lurked in the waiting room. Hands clenched above the legs of his regulation black suit. Wary crimson eyes darted to every available exit. Of course, his firearm had been confiscated at the door, but he had escaped tighter situations with far less.

The sharpshooter shook his head to himself. Turk thinking would not apply today. His son, Sephiroth, was his everything. If he should be arrested or gunned down escaping, his boy would be all alone. Detective Highwind swore he would make sure Vincent's case was heard by the right people. While his soon-to-be ex-wife, Lucrecia, had proven to be a monster, Vincent's records showed a clean past and the unfortunate circumstance of unwittingly being one of Lucrecia's experiment victims. If only Vincent's psychological profile hadn't come into play…

Vincent stood up when the wooden door to the judge's chamber swung inward to frame a smiling Cid Highwind and his grinning ten-year-old boy. "Baby boy's yours, Vince. Full parental custody reinstated. Watched the judge sign the official papers meself."

Vincent released a shout of joy as Sephiroth ran to him and jumped into his arms. "Everything's going to be alright from now on, Sephiroth. Mommy was sent far, far away where she will never be able to hurt you again."

Vincent dropped back down to the chair and ran his fingers through silvery shortened locks. "Your hair… Those bastards."

Sephiroth shook his head like a dog. "Don't be upset, Father. It'll all grow back in a couple of days. Mommy made sure of it."

Vincent clutched his boy tighter and directed his attention to Cid. "Yes, she made sure of a lot of things. I can't thank you enough, Detective Highwind. Lucrecia's deceit rattled me to the core. If I had lost my son to the foster system, it would have ended me."

Cid settled a few chairs away with a shrug of his wide shoulders. "Can't take the credit really. Judge was all set to slam the gavel down when he was handed an envelope from a guy named Veld. The contents turned the Judge white as a sheet and apparently convinced him to do the right thing. Ah gotta say, yer psych evaluation didn't help much. Multiple personalities who are not interested at all in integrating? Ah heard Turks kept secrets on top of secrets, but Ah could've used a heads up befer walkin' in front of the firin' squad."

Vincent's eyes swirled from blood red to molten gold. His voice deepened even further to a sultry growl. "The judge is a fool. We would never harm our little prince."

Cid leaned in with a tilt of the head. "Well, hello, Ms. Snooty. Last time we met was in the interrogation room. Thought Ah was seeing things. Been waitin' forever for you to show up again. Sweet-talkin' me inter a hard-on, then leavin' me high-and-dry. Ya got no respect fer the Law."

Vincent's alter ego rubbed his cheek against Sephiroth's head and smiled. His golden eyes continued to swirl. "My name is Chaos. We hid for Vincent's own good. If you viewed our true natures, you would have abandoned our cause and left us to the mercy of the judicial system. Our son needed you. We needed you."

Vincent blinked a few times until his eyes returned to crimson. "And you need us. All this time, you've been by my side. Why are you now sitting so far away?"

Cid bent forward to rub weary sky-blue eyes. "It's called professionalism, Vince. This old dog was way too close to this case from the get-go. Yer a father with a growing boy and a future. Ah'm a burnt-out drunk. The ink's barely dry on yer divorce papers and Ah can't take another ride on the Rebound carousel. Ah made a promise to get yer boy back and Ah fulfilled it. Case closed. You and Sephiroth live a happy life and ferget about me. It's the best for all of us."

Cid straightened up, ruffled Sephiroth's hair, and tweaked his nose. His yearning gaze held a bewildered Vincent's until he couldn't stand the pain building up in his chest. With a tired sigh, he rose up and walked towards the exit.

Cid's forward motion was brought to a halt by a pair of small, but surprisingly strong arms wrapped around his waist. "Hate to break it to ya, Kid, but Ah can still walk to the parking lot with you hangin' off of me."

Sephiroth rubbed his, no doubt, snotty nose against the back of Cid's suit coat. "When the mean lady took me away, Father informed me I could have anything I want if I behaved with social services and didn't break things or set fires. I want my father to be happy. You make my father happy, so you're going to be my new papa. Father promised me anything I want and he never breaks his promises."

Cid crab-walked forward two steps with his new son hanging off his tail and shook his behind a little for good measure. "Ah see you get yer subtle negotiation skills from yer daddy. Ah ain't gonna have no say from now on. Am I?

Vincent's arms came around to hug Cid's chest. One hand coming to a rest over the detective's heart. "No. And you will be all the happier for it."

XXX

(Zack/Sephiroth)

"Three orderlies in two months, Detective Highwind! The last one taken to the hospital with an arm broken in three places and a dislocated jaw. I am sorry, but if your son's behavior does not show an ounce of improvement. He will be transferred to the State facility for good."

Cid grumbled as he watched his adopted son, Sephiroth, draw contently in the otherwise empty Common Room of the Radiant Rehabilitation Center. Vincent would disappear in the night with their boy before the former Turk allowed Sephiroth to be sent to the State hospital. Cid hadn't slept alone in a long time. He wasn't about to start again now. "From the videotape Ah saw mah boy had every right to break the almost-rapist fucker in two. Last time Ah checked no still means no."

The Director hid her embarrassment by rifling through the files held in her arms. "Be as it may. The other two workers were merely attempting to perform their duties. The violence against them was uncalled for and truly horrific."

Cid shrugged his shoulders. "Sign up fer the crazy. Don't be surprised if you get the crazy."

The upset Director opened the connecting door with a flick of her wrist and a click of her tongue. "Have your son behave or find me a new orderly who can make him behave without getting broken into bits. The alternative is Sephiroth Valentine heading straight to the State Facility for the Insane."

Cid waved the irritating lady off and held his arms out wide to catch his seven-foot-tall son in his arms. Crazy or just misunderstood, Sephiroth was Vincent's greatest gift to Cid. A little boy, now man, who had grabbed hold of his alcohol-soaked heart and never let go. "Heard you've been havin' a little too much fun with the hired help. Apparently, they have the three strikes rule here too."

Sephiroth sat back down to marvel Cid with his new drawings. "The first two orderlies really weren't my fault. The psychiatrists prescribed me the wrong medication. The hallucinations were awful. They apologized later for the mix-up and documented their mistake in my medical records. The last orderly… was vile. He wanted to treat my body like garbage. I've been sheltered. I admit it, but I also know sex can be heaven if there's true love behind it. I want what you and Father have together. I won't accept anything less."

Cid chuckled while he sifted through the museum quality sketches. "Ya can't always get what you want, Son."

Sephiroth's drawing hand slowed a trifle before he soldiered on. "Of course I can. I'm a Valentine."

With the truer than true pronouncement ringing in the air, Cid drew his phone out and pushed two buttons. He waited a long while before an extremely hung-over voice answered the phone. "Fuck you. It's not ass o'clock in the morning. It's two in the afternoon. Quit stinkin' up Vincent's antique couch and meet me at Tifa's bar in an hour. Ah don't care if you jest left there. Ah got a job fer ya. No, you don't have the option of no."

Sephiroth laughed out loud watching Cid hang up the phone. "Did you finally find me a Prince Charming?"

Cid joined Sephiroth's rare laughter with his own. "Something like that."

xxx

Zack whistled as he read through Sephiroth's file. "The orderly was passing out pudding cups, and the patient attempted to tear out the worker's eyeballs, stating artificial vanilla flavor was the work of the devil. Woah. This is way above my pay grade, Highwind. Gosh. These pictures… Sephiroth Valentine is seven feet of crazy beautiful. Damn, Vincent makes pretty babies."

Cid set his beer down and wiped his lip. "That he does. Sephiroth fought off five cops and was tased three times before they took those booking pictures. Mah boy ain't crazy all the time. It works in cycles. He can be completely sane for two months, then go off the rails for three. The chemicals his fucked-up mother plagued him with screwed up his brain synapses. Once his medication is stabilized, he's great. He's also a gifted artist. Galleries from across the country wait out his bad periods to snap up his paintings when he's released."

Zack slapped the file shut and pushed at his frosty beer glass with a finger. "If Sephiroth wasn't Vincent's son, I would swear beauty like that didn't exist. Stupid pictures. He's my pissed-off dream angel come to life. What are you doin' to me, Cid? I got no business falling in love. I'm in SOLDIER. I could be deployed to the desert to die any day now. Sephiroth deserves better than this poor country boy."

Cid slid the necessary work applications Zack's way. "Yer daddy asked me to find you a job between tours. A favor from one old cousin to another. Well, Ah'm doin' him one better. Not only am Ah getting you a job, Ah'm giving you a chance to court the most beautiful being you will ever meet. One month is all Ah ask. By then, Sephiroth should be stabilized and ready to come home. If yer lucky, he'll hate yer guts and tear yer head off. Better him than the terrorists."

Zack sealed his fate by flipping Sephiroth's file open to take another longing look at the pictures inside. "More like tear out my heart."

Cid slapped Zack on the back as Tifa rolled a pen over to him. "Sephiroth will give it back eventually. Maybe. I'm still waitin' fer Vincent to give back mine."

xxx

The petite Director walked briskly alongside her newest hire, Zackary Fair. "While I am honored to have an active SOLDIER on my staff, I must strongly advise you to keep your taser fully charged at all times. Sephiroth will not hesitate in harming you if he spies a weakness he can exploit."

Zack came to a wide-eyed halt in front of Sephiroth's door. "I'm not going to taze the future mother of my children!"

The Director turned to freeze Zack's heart with a narrowed glare. "Detective Highwind gave his strongest recommendation for your hiring. Sexual relations between staff and patients are grounds for immediate dismissal and transfer for the patient to the State facility. I hope for your sake, you were joking. Not that you would stand a chance with Mr. Valentine. He does not tolerate being touched by strangers."

Zack took a step back with an audible gulp. "Yep, just a joker. That's me."

The Director slowly unlocked the door. "Since none of the other workers dare approach him, you will be tasked in taking care of all his needs. This includes bathing and daily care. The side effects from Sephiroth's medications range from mild jitters to catatonia."

Zack saluted with a flourish. "SOLDIER trained, ma'am. Nothing I can't handle."

The Director's grim frown did nothing to raise Zack's spirits. Her hand was quick to usher him in before she slammed the door behind him. "That's what they all say, SOLDIER."

xxx

Zack settled on the heavy wooden chair situated next to the door. He could use it as a weapon if Sephiroth attacked. Gazing at the long silver hair hanging down Sephiroth's back, he realized he never would. "Oh crap. I'm in trouble. If you told me to tear my eyes out, I'd probably do it."

Sephiroth flipped his head around to nail Zack to the chair with a fiery emerald gaze. "Not today. Your eyes glow like mine. Explain."

Zack straightened up and refused to back down from Sephiroth's intense stare. He was proud of what he endured to serve his country. "Standard SOLDIER Mako treatments. How about you?"

Sephiroth dropped his head so he could hide behind his hair. "My mother. It was the last experiment she inflicted on me before my father turned her in. He had no knowledge of her crimes until he returned from a work trip early to view my transformed eyes. I was nine."

Zack shuddered at the thought. Even with anesthetic, Mako treatments were excruciating for a full grown man. To force a child of nine to go through such pain was unconscionable. "Nine. Wow. At nine-years-old, I was kissing frogs in Gongaga."

Zack blinked, surprised to find himself sitting on Sephiroth's bed, next to an extremely calm mental patient. "How did I get here? Don't tell me you carried me. An enhanced skeleton comes along with the glowing eyes. I weigh more than a truck."

Sephiroth sighed as he began a new sketch. "You were all the way over there and I wanted you by my side. You have enhanced strength and speed. So do I. Just because my mother wronged me horribly doesn't mean I can't take advantage of the small positives which came from her results. In case you're wondering, they're not listed in my medical files because I hold myself back when I'm tested. I want to be seen as normal as possible. It makes it easier to get released back into society."

Sephiroth flicked his hair out of his face so the silky curtain slapped Zack on the chest.

To his inner horror, Zack couldn't help himself. He raised a hand and warily lowered it to Sephiroth's hair. "Unlike you, I'm a touchy guy. I'll hug before I can think. I find your hair beautiful, so I'm going to pet it with my hand. A hand I'm going to need in the near future to save women and children in a foreign land. Please don't rip it off."

To Zack's relief, Sephiroth bent his head to the side so the new orderly could caress the tresses from the top down. "My hairbrush is on my desk. My father usually brushes my hair when he visits but it will be better when you do it every day."

Before Sephiroth could change his mind, Zack took a flying leap, grabbed the silver hairbrush, and landed back on the bed with a huff. He began with brushing the ends. If Sephiroth took a turn for the worse, he could drop the length and jump back to the chair. "While your medical files may be skewed, I don't believe you would be so relaxed with me if this was a blind first meeting. What did Detective Cid tell you about me?"

Sephiroth finished his sketch and began another. "You're a cousin of a cousin, who's originally from Gongaga. and your odd hair is hereditary. You were poorer than dirt before you enlisted in the military. Since you're SOLDIER, you have fantastic medical benefits, but remain poorer than dirt. Because of your military life insurance, you're worth more to me dead than alive. Although, now that we've met, it would displease me greatly for you to die. So I forbid you from dying while you're away from me serving your country."

Zack's brushing slowed to a stop. His luminescent royal-blue eyes remained fastened to the strands held in his hand. "We've breathed each other's air for less than ten minutes and I already can't lie to you. I may be SOLDIER, Sephiroth, but I'm just a man. During my last tour, the guys on either side of me stepped on landmines. I should have died then. Hell, I should have died with my first tour, instead I got a medal. Like I told Cid, you deserve better than this poor country boy."

Sephiroth's fingers came up to nudge the First Class back to brushing., then rose further to wipe the Mako-tinged tears from Zack's face. "I am a Valentine. We always get what we want. What I want is a poor country boy, with horrible hair, who will love me even when I am crazy."

Zack laughed through his tears. "Thought I knew love before. I took one look at your picture and realized I didn't know a thing. My shift is over in a couple of hours. Just the thought of leaving you here alone for the night is tearing me up inside."

Sephiroth laid his sketchbook on the bed and surprised Zack by resting his long body against the SOLDIER's. "You won't have to. Cid will drop you off at the emergency exit later on tonight. I'll sneak you back here to my room. As long as I'm not suicidal and I don't cause any trouble, the night staff never bothers with bed checking my room. You can love me for as long as you want. I've never been with anyone sexually. I wonder how much a SOLDIER hero could teach me before he's deployed again?"

Although Zack was reassured and highly turned on, he continued to keep his motions slow, while he returned Sephiroth's tentative caresses. "Nothing's going to be taught without a lot of condoms. Boatloads and boatloads of condoms. The workers at the drugstore down the street are going to get to know me real well by the end of this month."

Sephiroth raised a curious gaze to meet Zack's serious one. "Why? SOLDIERS are highly resistant to all known diseases and I'm a man."

Zack risked Sephiroth's ire by standing up and striding back to sit on the wooden chair by the door. He scrubbed through his spikes, attempting to clear his head. "If we had met before my last tour, it would be no problem, but I was promoted from Second to First Class when my two teammates died. The First Class treatments are classified, but all male spouses of teammates are notified before they are administered. The semen of all First Classes changes their male partners internally so they can become pregnant and give birth to baby SOLDIERs. According to the higher-ups, it's the perfect win-win."

Sephiroth seemed to shrink on the bed. His unearthly beauty was enhanced even further by his mounting sorrow. "M-m-my mental problems are not hereditary. It angered my mother to no end that all her hard work would not be passed on. My father's multiple personalities were work-inflicted. What am I saying? Of course, you wouldn't want me to have your baby. I'm locked in a mental ward for six months out of the year. I would be a horrible mother."

Zack couldn't take watching Sephiroth mentally beat himself up one second more. He quickly returned to his place by Sephiroth's side and flung his arms around the mad artist's shivering form. "You will be the best mother in the whole wide world. The problem isn't with you, Angel. It's me. I'm lucky if the military gives me the full month before I get shipped out. If you become pregnant before I leave, and I die during this tour, then I'm the hazy guy in the faded out picture above the fireplace. You deserve better than that. You deserve a husband and our kids deserve a father."

Sephiroth sniggered against Zack's collarbone. "Kids? Cid did mention you were ambitious."

Zack scooted their bodies down so they shared a pillow. "I've been informed by all the drunken geniuses down at the Seventh Heaven that your father, Vincent, is the most beautiful man around these parts. Since you look just like him, Cid has given me standing orders that you and I should spread Vincent's genetic beauty far and wide through our babies to give other country boys something to hope for in the future."

Sephiroth hesitantly landed a soft first kiss to Zack's lips. "Papa Cid does knows best."

Zack's answering kiss made the butterflies in Sephiroth's stomach flutter and dance. "Damn right he does."

XXX

(Cloud/Squall)

Zack held Cloud's sniper rifle as his friend vomited up every meal he had ever eaten. "Spiky, the guy had it coming. What sick fuck sends his little girl out to ambush soldiers with grenades hidden under her dress?"

Cloud was able to stop throwing up enough to breathe some air in to talk. "Screw the guy. He deserved the bullet between the eyes. The little girl should have been in school, not dead with a bullet in her heart. I tried so hard for a clean shot, but I saw her writhing with pain before she died. Zack, I signed up to escape my one-horse town, and become a SOLDIER hero, not kill misguided kids."

Zack handed Cloud back his rifle and clapped a comforting hand on his shaking shoulder. "It gets easier. You lose a little bit of your soul each time, but it does get easier."

The harsh whistle from the armored convoy below signaled the First Class pair back into action.

Zack held the roof door open for Cloud to crawl through. "Listen well, my apprentice. A tour ago I was where you are now, then I met my saving grace, Sephiroth. Seven feet of crazy bitchiness and all mine. I barely got the ring on his finger before SOLDIER called me back up to help free this fucked-up bowl of dirt."

Cloud gingerly took his time down the stairway. "You still set on waiting for kids or did the last shoot-out change your mind?"

Zack edged along behind him, wary of the ever present danger. "Babies all the way, Spiky. If it wasn't for the body armor, my angel would have been left as an extremely pissed-off, childless, widower. If I have my way, Seph should be pregnant ten minutes after my plane lands."

Cloud peered around outside before moseying towards the waiting transport. "Can't say I envy you, Zack. A family was never in my plans for the future. With the way this war is screwing with my head, if I ever do meet my saving grace, she'll probably run away screaming once she realizes she has to spend the rest of her life with my train wreck of a mind."

Zack climbed into the armored transport and nudged Cloud right in the spot where the his body armor didn't quite meet. "Who says it has to be a woman? You've completed all the First Class Mako treatments. Male or female. Sky's the limit, Spiky. A saving grace isn't gender-specific. Take it from me. I was all about the ladies when I first laid eyes on Sephiroth's picture and he is definitely male."

Cloud stared out into the passing desert. He and Zack had been holed up in the sniper's nest for a whole week. They had completed the mission, and saved countless lives, but the ending left a bad taste in his mouth. He couldn't wait to take a hot shower and wash the filth off his skin. "Gender has nothing to do with it, Zack. The problem is me. I don't think I can be saved, especially after what I did today."

Zack yanked Cloud over by his ammo belt and wrestled his best friend into an inescapable stinky bear hug. "Quit listening to the stupid voices in your head. Your saving grace is out there and they will love you to hell and back. They just haven't met you yet. Once you do meet, it will all come together. You'll finally be home. Hang in there. If it can happen for me, it will happen for you. I swear it."

xxx

Blushing bright red, Squall fingered the antibiotic packets Aerith had handed to him. "Thanks a lot, Aer. You can get into big trouble for letting me into the Free Clinic after hours. I owe you big time."

Aerith drew her pseudo little brother into a comforting hug. Her worry doubled when she felt the exhausted young man sag against her body. "Reeve doesn't care a whit about state regulations. As long as I post positive numbers to keep the city officials happy, I have free reign. Besides, you have nothing to be ashamed about. This STD didn't come from your sleeping around. At the very least, Rinoa should have informed you she was sick."

Squall backed up with a shrug. "I don't think she cares anymore. The only reason I found out was because Zell got it from Seifer. He had to drop out of a major MMA fight because it showed up in his blood tests. After Zell broke up with Seifer, he called me. When I confronted Rinoa, she just waved her hand and walked away."

Aerith petted Squall's arm while she guided him to the door to the waiting room. "You're not alone, little brother. There's me, Cid, and Vincent. We all realized you've been trying to kick the drugs for good, but Rinoa keeps dosing you, so you can never be free of her. Pick either one of our houses. The front door will always be open to you."

Squall gave Aerith a goodbye kiss on the forehead. "If it was just me, I'd take up your offer in a heartbeat, but I have my friend, Yuffie, to think about. I won't leave her alone."

Aerith's sharp gaze met Yuffie's frightened one. The small female gave a half-hearted wave, terrified her old friend would give away her secret.

While Squall had no inkling Yuffie was an undercover cop working to bust Rinoa's drug ring, Aerith had known the deceptively young-looking woman for years through her ex-boyfriend, Cloud Strife. Yuffie and Cloud had suffered through Police Academy together and had become odd buddies for life. "Squall, don't forget to take your antibiotics with food. If you don't, you could get an ulcer."

Yuffie locked arms with Squall and half-carried him to the door. "I'll take care of it, Aer. Squall will be just fine. I promise."

To Aerith's dismay, Squall gave no notice of the familiarity in Yuffie's voice. Things had declined even further than she had first thought.

Aerith locked the door and flicked the blinds shut before she made the call. "Cloud, I need your help. It's about Yuffie. Yes, I remember you don't work narcotics, which is why you're going to help her during your free time. Why? Because I said so…"

xxx

Cloud rested his back against the lighted alley's brick wall and folded his arms against his chest. "I scanned the intel, Yuffie. The Timber Owls drug ring could have been busted up six months ago. The leader's an entitled idiot being led around by her drugged up nose. So what's the hold-up?"

The alley was too dirty for cartwheels, so Yuffie twirled in place instead. "The hold-up's name is Squall Leonhart. Normally, if it isn't Triad, I sort of hate working these cases, but meeting him made up for all the stupidity I have to deal with. This case gave me a shiny big brother to adopt who's nothing but light and goodness. It's going to be tough, but I'm going to make sure that skanky witch-bitch, Rinoa, doesn't kill him, or get him sent to jail. It doesn't help that he's blindly loyal to her."

Cloud was all set to let his friend down gently, in spite of Aerith's orders, when Yuffie shoved her phone against his face. "I knew you would be a hard sell, so I saved a picture folder full of Squall yumminess to entice you into joining me in my righteous cause."

From the first picture of a sleepy-eyed, bare-chested Squall, a mesmerized Cloud was hooked, but also a bit disturbed. "Kisaragi, you think of Squall as a big brother, but these photos seem a bit stalkerish ."

Yuffie shrugged and brought out her mini shurikens to idly flip in the air. "I gotta be me. Squall doesn't mind. He thinks I'm being nice. He has no idea he's gorgeous. By the way, he also has a quiet personality, and he's a fantastic cook."

Cloud cracked his neck and tossed the phone back to its owner. "Aerith's all worked up over nothing. Yuffie, you could save him on your own with both hands tied behind your back. You don't need my help."

Yuffie's brown eyes dropped to the ground and she dragged the toe of her sneaker through the dirt. "You have to help me, Cloud. You're the only one who fits the bill. It took almost a whole year before Squall gave me anything I could use to get him away from Rinoa for good. Squall won't admit it when he's sober, but he loves SOLDIERs. The glowing eyes. The enhanced speed and strength. He even read up on all the classified First Class Mako treatments. He swore he wouldn't mind having babies if they were little SOLDIERs."

Cloud hung his head. "They would be beautiful just like him. Fuck it all. I haven't met Squall yet and he's already breaking my heart."

Yuffie edged forward to grab hold of Cloud's hand. "Until Rinoa's out of his life, Squall is unable to listen to reason. Once she's gone, he'll be scrambling for help and someone to love him unconditionally. You probably won't agree with me, but I believe that person is you. When I dared him into describing his dream come true, he didn't describe Rinoa, he talked about a man, a First Class SOLDIER, who resembled you right down to your crazy blue eyes. It took everything in me not to show him our Academy graduation pictures."

Cloud glared down to their joined hands. "I'll help with your back paperwork and surveillance but that's all I can promise. You may have adopted Squall for a big brother, but he's also a hardcore drug addict. If he decides to back up Rinoa until the end, there's nothing I can do for him. As for a future relationship, I refuse to get my hopes up. I'm barely hanging on as it is."

xxx

Squall hissed as Aerith applied pressure to the huge gash running across his face. "It wasn't Rinoa's fault! She warned me to stop bringing up kids. I didn't know she can never have a baby."

Aerith gestured to Yuffie to hand her another compress. "This is going to scar. Don't worry, little brother You'll still be ridiculously pretty."

Yuffie slapped the cotton into Aerith's palm and flopped backwards onto the plastic chair with a grumble. "Why the hell does Rinoa have solid crystal ashtrays in her house anyways? Nobody there smokes!"

Aerith began stitching Squall's cut up with the smallest needle she had in the clinic. "Something tells me there's more to this bloody story. Spill it, Leonhart."

Irritated by Squall's sudden muteness, Yuffie idly kicked her legs to-and-fro and spilled the beans. "Squall's been having the same dream for months. A little boy speaks to him about future happy times. He was sure it was his and Rinoa's baby speaking from Heaven, so the joyful doofus had to talk about it in front of the witch. Cue ashtray to the head and me carrying him piggyback to the clinic."

Aerith completed the stitching, and cupped Squall's face, so she could view tear-filled blue-grey eyes.

Squall's rapid blinking failed to keep the tears at bay. "You would love him, Aerith. He has big blue eyes and the softest spiky brown hair. This last dream he was so sad. He told me his daddy was in pain and all alone. For some reason, I knew he wasn't talking about me, so I felt I had to finally tell Rinoa about our baby boy. Now I know he can never be Rinoa's, I'm all confused. Am I going crazy?"

Aerith patted Squall's wet cheeks and started to wipe the dried blood away from his face with an alcohol pad. "No, you're far from crazy. Your baby boy sounds darling and I better be number one on the babysitting list when he's finally born. Natural spiky hair, huh? I wonder who the other person could be…"

Yuffie scoffed at Aerith's bad acting and began to type out a heads-up message to spiky-haired Cloud.

In spite of his head injury, Squall was scheduled to have a very busy night.

xxx

Cloud sneezed from his vantage point behind the dumpsters. His eyes, SOLDIER glow hidden by contact lenses, kept a close watch over Squall completing various drug transactions from his chosen street corner.

Squall had never worked the streets before, but the usual dealer had overdosed two days ago. The young man had volunteered to take his place in spite of Yuffie's strong protests.

Luckily, most of Squall's customers were regulars sent over by Yuffie. They asked for the usual and went on their way. It was obvious to everyone that Squall was never meant for the hustle.

Cloud perked up when a mean-looking bruiser made his swaggering way to Squall's side. He attempted to signal Yuffie, but the undercover cop was distracted by a carload of hyper college kids.

Cloud inched forward, hoping the thug would buy his drugs from Squall and leave. Unfortunately, it didn't sound like the transaction would go down that way to his enhanced ears.

The brute leaned in to Squall's personal space, backing the nervous brunet to the wall. "Hey, Gorgeous. Haven't seen you here before."

Squall clutched his backpack to his chest. If he was robbed tonight, Rinoa would take off his head. "The regular guy's sick, but I have what you need. It's five for a baggy."

The large man bent forward to lick the side of Squall's neck. "Ain't interested in drugs, Beautiful, but I am interested in your tight ass. What's your price?"

Squall's eyes darted around, searching for an escape, but he couldn't see past his molester's shoulders. His stuttering answer signaled his mounting fear. "I-I-I'm not a whore, I've never been with a man, and I'm injured. Please leave me alone."

The giant placed his hands on either side of Squall's head, trapping the frightened drug dealer against the wall. "I don't mind the bruises. In fact, I'll add a few more to your body for free. As for being a virgin, it's been awhile since I popped someone's cherry."

"Pop this, Asshole."

Squall's terror turned quickly to astonishment as the near-rapist was flung, one-handed, halfway down the street to land in a heap near a startled Yuffie.

Squall could only shiver in shock as the bearded homeless man strode down the street and proceeded to work very hard in beating the brute to death.

Forced into action by the violence, Squall dropped the backpack, ran to the punching transient, and flung his arms around a taut, muscular waist from behind. "Stop! Please stop! You're killing him!"

The homeless man halted his actions, seemingly disturbed more by Squall's frantic embrace than the destruction. "You shouldn't be seeing this. You should never have been here in the first place. Take him home."

To Squall's surprise, Yuffie followed the stranger's orders and began to pull Squall away after he had let the homeless man go. "I picked up your backpack. All the baggies are still inside, but I heard someone calling the cops. We gotta get out of here."

After a few steps, Squall turned back to whisper. "Please don't get caught."

The scruffy male, still facing away, made a small hand wave to indicate he had heard.

Ten minutes later, Cloud exhaled, watching an ambulance drive up and an old friend surprisingly swing out of the driver's seat. "Holy shit. Barrett Wallace."

The mountain of a black man ambled up next to Cloud and gazed down to the carnage at his feet. Of course, he was not fooled one bit by Cloud's disguise. "Damn, Spiky. That's some precision work there. A couple of more hits and you'd be having an extremely unpleasant one-on-one with Detective Highwind."

Cloud shrugged his shoulders. "Leave the scumbag exterminating to the Turks… Yadda yadda. When did you get back from the desert?"

Barrett chuckled while he strapped the near-dead loser onto the gurney. "Not quick enough. Marlene pretends she doesn't recognize me and Tifa's honeydew list is bigger than the Seventh Heaven."

Since Barrett's EMT partner decided to stay in the ambulance and listen to the radio, Cloud helped Barrett roll the gurney to the back doors. "What you see here really isn't my fault. I was happy to stay hidden behind the dumpsters, but this idiot disrespected Squall, and touched him without his consent. I may be off the clock, but I'm still a cop. I was merely doing my job and helping a citizen in need."

Barrett laughed so hard he wheezed as he slammed the double doors of the ambulance closed. "Y'know, Tifa's been dying to mother this Squall Leonhart ever since Aerith told her the man's sad life story. Hell, I'm a little curious myself. I never met a drug-addicted saint before."

Cloud went to shake Barrett's hand. "Glad you made it back alive, Wallace. Tell Tifa, if Squall agrees to be with me, she'll probably see us almost every other day."

Barrett waved away Cloud's hand and pulled his friend in for a hug instead. "He'll agree, Spiky. You're crazy as hell, but when it matters the most, you come through to save the day."

xxx

A few nights later, Cloud settled down next to another dumpster located across the street from Rinoa's house. He would usually never be so obvious, but Yuffie had left an urgent text message while he was at the gun range, stating they had to meet a.s.a.p. but she had to stay near the house.

Cloud didn't notice he had zoned out until he heard the distinct sound of a Tupperware container being placed on the ground and plastic utensils being put on top of it. He opened his eyes to Squall's softly smiling face. "Thank you?"

Squall warmed Cloud's heart with a light laugh. "Silly, I'm the one who should be thanking you. My naiveté almost got me raped in the street. Yuffie checked with the hospital and assured me the creep will live. I can't decide if I'm happy or sad about it. Does that make me a bad person?"

Cloud shook his head so vigorously his false beard almost came off. "Take it from a bad person. You could never come close to being a bad person."

Squall bent over to straighten Cloud's hat on his head. "You're sweet. Don't sell yourself short. You just need someone to take care of you, then you'll be right as rain. I noticed Yuffie talks to you in the park a lot. She says you're always starving because you hate going to the shelters. I made Spaghetti Bolognese for the crew tonight. If you eat it now, it should still be warm."

Cloud picked up the container and nodded his thanks. He almost dropped it when Squall's smile disappeared and the brunet straightened up. "Don't be frightened. I'm not usually violent. I just can't stand seeing people being bullied."

Squall's smile returned in a flash and he rubbed his eyes like a little boy. "I'm not scared. I feel at my safest when I'm with you. For a moment, I swear I saw your eyes glow. It must be a trick of the light. Enjoy your dinner. Don't eat too fast. You'll get a stomachache."

Cloud's eyes never strayed from Squall's trim body until the young man entered the house and closed the door behind him.

Cloud took his time eating the food. The container had been licked clean twice, and thrown in the dumpster, when Yuffie decided to show her face. "While I concede you were right about Squall being my future life partner, I refuse to pay up. I don't care how good your matchmaking skills are, our firstborn child is not going to be named Yuffie."

Yuffie plopped down on the ground across from Cloud. "Of course not. Yuffie would be a horrible name for a baby boy."

Cloud cocked his head in confusion. "What's that supposed to mean?"

Yuffie waved her hands in the air. "Squall will explain what I mean later. I sent you the text because the raid is happening tomorrow morning. Rinoa's desperation has overruled her common sense and she decided to go after the school kids. I had no idea until Tifa called Cid. Barrett caught one of the Rinoa's men trying to sell drugs to Marlene and her friends. I'm sure the guy's body will be found eventually. When I asked Rinoa about it, she laughed and informed me she had started canvassing the middle schools two weeks ago."

Cloud calculated the timing. "This is too soon. Squall won't leave Rinoa and he'll go to prison for drug trafficking."

Yuffie reached over to hold Cloud's hand. "No, he won't. If I'm held up with the debriefing, Cid will keep him safe and away from the other prisoners until you can be with him."

Cloud stared at their clasped hands, remembering when Yuffie first asked him to save Squall. "I understand. You want me to stand down until the raid is finished. You think I won't be able to stop myself from killing Rinoa."

Yuffie nodded. "You're a great sniper, Cloud. One of the best. I'm sure Rinoa will freak out enough to warrant a bullet in the head, but we need her to give up her overseas contacts. She can't do it if she's dead."

Cloud kissed Yuffie's knuckle before letting her hand go. "I've been fooling myself from the start, Yuffie. Squall's my saving grace. I'm placing my trust in you. Don't let Rinoa get Squall killed before I can keep him safe."

Yuffie jumped up and dusted her shorts off. "Will do, buddy. I have just the cowboy to help me get Squall from the house to the precinct."

xxx

(The Next Morning)

The loud whispers failed to penetrate Squall's hysteria.

"I can't believe the bitch left her boyfriend to take the fall. What the hell was she thinking, wheeling out of here like a maniac?"

"I know what she was thinking. Better him than me."

"Hallelujah, brother. Whoops. They need help with the search upstairs. Let's go."

Terrified, Squall remained scrunched up on the cold marble floor in the foyer. The invading policemen had the courtesy to walk around his petrified form. The gentle gloved hands attempting to uncurl him only made his body shake harder.

The stranger sighed and ran a hand through Squall's sweat-soaked hair. "Well, shoot. I may have nicknamed you the Ice Princess when we were kids, but you didn't have to take it to heart."

Squall's shaking eased to a stop. He was able to relax his muscles a little and open his eyes. "I-I-Irvine? You're wearing black. You hate wearing black and you're missing your cowboy hat."

Irvine Kinneas inwardly cursed Rinoa for breaking down his boyhood friend so much. "I'm not missing it. It's safe and sound in my car. Why don't we go take a walk and I'll make sure it's still there."

Squall may be traumatized, and suffering the beginnings of drug withdrawal, but he wasn't stupid. "It's okay, Irvine. I know I'm being arrested. My friend, Yuffie, was an undercover cop all along, but I'm not mad at her. I could have left Rinoa months ago, but I was never strong enough to walk away. I deserve to go to jail."

Irvine opened the front door and shooed away the other officers. "Bullshit, Squallie. The one person who should suffer in jail is Rinoa. They'll have to catch her first. It must be great to have a rich daddy."

Squall barely registered the patrol car's door opening and closing behind him. He glanced up to find a nervous Yuffie, seated in the passenger seat, looking back at him through the wire divider. "Is your name really Yuffie?"

Yuffie reached up to thread her small fingers through the wire. "Sure is."

Squall raised his shaking hand to thread his fingers with hers. "Are you still my little sister?"

Tears of relief trailed down Yuffie's face. "Always, big brother."

Squall dropped his head in shame. "You've been right about everything. I believed and loved Rinoa when everyone else gave up on her. I was such a fool. I realize now she never loved me. I was her patsy. All the drugs she planted in my mattress. The court is never going to believe I'm innocent. I'd ask you to visit me in prison, but you're a cop. The others will think I'm a snitch. I'm going to be all alone again."

While Squall had filled the air with self-loathing, Irvine had started the drive to the precinct. "Pathetic with a capital P. Kisaragi, quit crying and set our boy straight. He shouldn't be suffering when there's no reason for it."

Yuffie wiped her tears and relinked her fingers with Squall. "At the very most, you will be booked for drug possession. A good lawyer can get your sentence knocked down easy. You won't stay in jail. You'll be withdrawing at Cid and Vincent's house. When we arrive at the precinct, there will be someone else to drive you to their home, since I'll be getting debriefed."

Squall's brow crinkled in confusion. "Who?"

Yuffie's phone rose up to rest next to her grinning face. On the screen was a picture of the homeless man who had saved Squall's virtue, except he had spiky blond hair, no beard, and luminescent blue eyes. "Squall Leonhart meet Cloud Strife, First Class SOLDIER reservist and my fellow police officer."

Squall brushed his finger against the screen. "Huh. That explains my baby boy's hair. Cloud Strife. Tell me more about him, little sister. Tell me everything."


End file.
